The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17
ARTISTS and MODgLS.
WOMEN WHO POSE PROMPTED
BY THEIR VANITY.
Beautiful forms Seen Only Ia Stu.
dios-Plain Faces and Pretty
Figures.

A Star reporter asked a well known
artist: why does an artist have to
have model" l asked. with all
the statues and pictures and sketches
that already exist, why must he still
20 to the original flesh for his de-
signs?" This is a realistic age" was
the reply. Artists used to study the
antique, the antique-forever. Now
they want the real thing-the thing
of life. The art schools used to de-
mand that a figure be SO many heads
high. Now they want them as they are,
all varying, as faces vary, as every
thing varies in actual life. In Paris
there are artists who 60 about the
streets in wagons with peep holes cut
in the sides of the wagon tops, stop
ping wherever there is queer pos
ture or interesting group or pretty
face or anything worth producing.
Pictures now must be from the life. If
two artists study together, it is to be
observed that one gets all the subtle
ties of coloring, veining aud skin
texture, while the other misses most
of them. 1t is the same with
landscape painting. Landscapes
used mainly to be invented. Now
artists are not contented without
getting even the peculiar light Of the
country they are painting in, and all
its effects on the ground and leaves
of treea. An artist demands of his
model that she shall be plump, pref
ty and clean. Artists endesvor to
get sittings from their models in the
morning, when the model is just out
of bed, so she shall be fresh, vigor-
GUS and spirited. They pay fer pri-
vate models about 81 or 81 30 an
hour and usually entertain them at
luncheon. There is no end Of men
models. Artists fud that they can
get almost any man to pose, draped
or nude, for third less than women
demand. Every artist has the ad
dresses of fifty men. If an artist
opens a studio in this city it won t
be three days before they and many
women will call and ask for work
and beg for money. Women differ
very much. Sarony, the photogra-
pher and artist, says of all the women
he has seen but two were perfect
The consequence is that this one is
chosen to pose for her limbs, another
for her torso, or trunk, and so on.
Women who have thin and unpre-
possessing faces often possess the
most beautiful forms. The face is
no criterion in judging of a model.
Artists all agree that the vanity
which woman is charged with
possessing is no SANDER upon the
sex, for in private lie it is found
that many women, the proudest and
most correct, can more or less easily
be got to pose regularly, draped or
decollete or in short skirts. Thus
figures not obtainable among models
are often procured for nothing, and
the women are proud of being select
ed for this purpose. This is especially
30 with married women. Once they
trust the honor of an artist they will
suffer themselves to be put in any
posture, no matter how ridiculous.
Artists find that when they set up
their easels in the country the men
will laugh at them, but the women
will draw near to be sketched." My
artist friend told me an interesting
story of an experience he had with q
woman, now a celebrated model,
when she first posed in a
studio. She dropped in upon him
saying that she had been a counter
girl in O'Neil's, a shopping store, at
about Sc a week, and could not
make both ends meet; that a lady
friend, who was model, had spoken
of him as a gentleman, and that if he
needed subject she would like him
to tell her what to do. He told heI
what she would have to accustom
herself to if she followed that life
but she said she knew all about it
He pointed to screen and babe hel
60 behind it and take off her things
, Presently she reappeared, but in little
more undress than il she were abou
to retire. Informed that this wa
not what was wanted, she disap
peared and next revealed herself il
complete undress, but with her bach
toward the artist. Here was an ex
, traordiuary beautiful form, and a
|, he made a sketch Of her figure h,
debated with himself how he shoulC
deal with her. He resolved to b,
, wholly businesslike, and so, walking
, over to where she stood, he babe he
turn around, and posed her as h,
. wished err to stand. By the time h
q reached his easel she was bent dOubl
and INDUCING in fit Of crying
: blended with almost hysterical laugh
ter. He told her it was quite eviden
t that she had better give up her am
/ bition and return to her former life
: and he supposed she would. Blu
+ she did not. She is now one of tn
E most noted and priced models il
8 town. She remains perfect
. good girl, but is not aveIse t
n sitting entirely disrobed, an
r smoking a cigarette while curle
$ up like Turk on a lounge
n waiting for her employer TO begi
a work. The most popular mode
\ now, however, is former model VIII
: has been married and had sewers
4 children and has at last been oblige
to return to the old life in order t
t support her husband. Models i
good demand make $25 a week.
= most curious fact that, my informau
d says, has been noticed among artist
: is that the demi- monde cannot b
il got to pose as a model, 1t would {
Il inferred from that that the most nj
a ter shamelessness is found in thos
V who do that work, and yet very man
Is in fact all who have modicum {
i brains-are good women who lea
l. orderly lives and keep admirabl
n homes.